He also said the secret police, Department of State Services (DSS) was working to know the exact tribe the Owo church attackers belong to.
Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu has said that insurgents from a terrorist cell in Okenne, Kogi State were involved in the June 5 Owo church attack.
Akeredolu during an interview on Channels TV on Wednesday, monitored by SaharaReporters, said terrorists from the cell in Okenne carry out attacks across the country.
He also said the secret police, Department of State Services (DSS) was working to know the exact tribe the Owo church attackers belong to.
He said: “It is clear from what we have that the terrorist cell in Okenne, all of us know Okenne probably is the land of the Igbiras but the terror gang or the terrorists in Okenne were involved in the incident of June 5.
“What do we make of that? Are they all Igbiras, that’s for us to find out. We can’t conclude with the names because we see a number of them have two names.
“The Department of State Services is still working on this so we must leave that until they come out as to the proper location of where they come from before we jump into total conclusion.
“For me, I know that there’s a terrorist cell in Okenne and everybody knows that and they strike across the country. They strike in Kogi, Ekiti and come strike in Ondo State but this terrorist cell is one that must be confronted and eliminated."
He said his previous reference to the Igbira was about the recent cases of kidnappings, among others happening in Ondo state and not related to the Owo church attack.
He also clarified that one of the suspected terrorists recently arrested by the Nigerian military, whose name was mentioned on Tuesday, Idris Ojo, was a Kuje prison escapee and not part of the terrorists that attacked the Owo church.
However, according to him, the Nigerian government is treating terrorists with kid gloves. He, therefore, advised the Nigerian government to decisively and immediately tackle terrorism and not just keep them as prisoners.
On July 5, some terrorists attacked Kuje Correctional Centre and freed hundreds of inmates including suspected Boko Haram fighters.
He said, “One thing is clear from what we have experienced and gathered from all over the world. Terrorism will fester if you continue to treat it with kid gloves and this is what we are doing in Nigeria today, you don’t treat terrorism, and banditry with kid gloves.
“What other countries have done, if we are to learn from that, then it will be better. You don’t bring them as prisoners, if you want to deal with them, deal with them and I’m sure they will run away wherever they are found by the time you have dealt with them. The surroundings will be cleared and that for me is the solution.
“It is not in any constitution or law but I can tell you that you don’t take prisoners of terrorists, if you continue to do that, you won’t get anywhere. That’s why they went to attack Kuje and free them.”
He also described Ondo State forests as very vulnerable, saying terrorists know the forests more than the security operatives.
He, however, added that efforts were being made to make the forests inhabitable for the terrorists.